Novak Djokovic on his way to a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2 victory over Roger Federer during the men's final at Indian Wells.CreditMark J. Terrill/Associated Press

By Ben Rothenberg

March 22, 2015

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Novak Djokovic charitably kept Roger Federer in contention longer than he would have liked Sunday before again prevailing in the final of the BNP Paribas Open, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2.

After having conceded his break advantage late in the second set, Djokovic double-faulted three times in the ensuing tiebreaker, including twice on consecutive points when he served for the match at 5-4. But after an early outburst of anger after again losing a break early in the third set, Djokovic steadied himself to run away with the final frame, claiming his 50th ATP title.

The title was his fourth at this tournament, tying Federer for the most in the tournament’s history.

“Set and a break, and a break point for 5-2 up, I could have done the job earlier,” Djokovic said. “Credit to Roger.

“I managed to regroup, managed to overcome that frustration of handing that tiebreak to him. It’s important to regroup, bounce back, and focus on the next one.”

Djokovic won the final here last year in somewhat similar fashion. After being broken by Federer when up by 5-4 in the third set, Djokovic won that match in a third-set tiebreaker.

Djokovic still trails in his overall record with Federer, having won just 18 of their 38 matches.

Federer hit perhaps his most important shot of the match outside a point. With Djokovic closing in on a routine victory and up by 4-3 in the second set, Federer hit a flashy behind-the-back return off a missed Djokovic first serve. The crowd delighted in the flair, and Federer seemed to awaken, steeling himself and breaking Djokovic for the first time in the match.

His momentum carried through the rest of the second set, but the younger Djokovic proved the sharper of the two as the match wore on. In a reversal, it was Federer who double-faulted on a crucial break point to give Djokovic a 4-2 lead in the third.

In the women’s final, Simona Halep earned the biggest title of her career by beating Jelena Jankovic, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4. It was the third title of the year for the 23-year-old Halep, who was cheered by flag-waving Romanian fans throughout her run in Indian Wells.

“I don’t know how I won today, because I didn’t play my best,” Halep said. “I didn’t play, like, good tennis, but I just wanted to fight till the end because I think that is the most important thing for my style, for myself.”

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In the women’s final on Sunday, Simona Halep, above, put up a fight to beat Jelena Jankovic, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, and earn her third title of the year.CreditMatthew Stockman/Getty Images

Halep has repeatedly expressed disappointment in her effort in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in January, when she put up little resistance against Ekaterina Makarova once the Russian took control of their match. She said she had vowed to never let herself stop battling again.

“I was very disappointed after that match,” Halep said. “I said I will fight till the end always. That was the last match where I didn’t fight. So that made me more confident that I can.”

Jankovic, seeded 18th, dictated early against third-seeded Halep with her potent backhand and approaches to the net. After winning the first set, she took a 3-1 lead in the second.

But as Djokovic did later in the men’s final, Jankovic encountered service woes when trying to close out the victory.

“The arm wouldn’t go up,” she said. “It’s just, I could not hit through the shot. That’s what happened.”

After reeling off holds in five straight service games, Jankovic was broken in eight of her next nine. With neither she nor Halep able to impose herself on serve, two-thirds of their games (18 of 30) ended in service breaks.

Jankovic called her coach, Chip Brooks, onto the court for a consultation before she tried to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second. “I’m freaking out!” Jankovic announced once he reached her chair.

“I think we all get nervous; it’s part of being a professional athlete,” Jankovic said. “It’s just a matter of how you control them. I kind of let those nerves take the best out of me. That shouldn’t happen. But I think over all, it was a long two weeks. I was full of emotions, like I was just overwhelmed, and excited that I’m in the final and I put myself into a position to win.

“It’s almost like a dream, because I never thought I was going to at the beginning of the tournament.”

Jankovic was unable to push herself across the finish line, however, and Halep broke, held, and broke again to take the second set, 7-5.

When Halep managed a hold in the in the seventh game of the final set after the two traded four straight breaks, Jankovic seemed resigned to defeat.

“In Australia, I think I played good tennis, but I couldn’t fight,” Halep said. “So for me, the most important thing, like I said, is just to have this feeling to fight till the end. This tournament gives me a lot of confidence that I can be there, that I can win every tournament, so now I have more confidence that I can win a Grand Slam. But still I am very far; I just want to keep this goal in my mind.”

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page D8 of the New York edition with the headline: Djokovic Outlasts Federer to Retain Title; Halep Topples Jankovic for Marquee Win. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe